Indecent – April 28 to May 19, Segal Centre

Indecent

A celebration of the art of making theatre

The Segal Centre for Performing Arts is proud to announce the Montreal premiere of Indecent, directed by Segal Centre Artistic and Executive Director Lisa Rubin. Inspired by true events, this buzzworthy new play by Paula Vogel is an homage to the art of making theatre, and is one of the most produced plays across North America this season.

A play that stirred a controversy. The actors who risked everything to perform it.

Written in 1906, Sholem Asch’s God of Vengeance, about the daughter of a Jewish brothel owner falling in love with one of her father’s prostitutes, is a daring exploration of religion, societal mores, and morality. It toured across Europe and America to great acclaim, but in the face of 1920s anti-Semitism and immigration reform, the Broadway debut of the play was hastily shut down and the mostly immigrant cast was arrested on the grounds of obscenity.

Indecent is a fascinating look at this explosive moment in theatrical and world history that remains startlingly relevant to today’s discourse on censorship, culture, religion, LGBTQ rights, immigration, and freedom of speech. This deeply moving play charts the story of an incendiary drama and the artists who risked their careers and their lives to perform it.

“If there was ever a show destined for the Segal, this is it. Indecent is a powerful story from our past that tackles many relevant issues. It’s also a celebration of theatre set to an amazing score with so much movement and energy! It’s an extraordinary example of how art and culture matters, and I just had to do it,” said Lisa Rubin, Artistic and Executive Director of the Segal Centre.

Virtuoso actors take on multiple roles in this sweeping story

Indecent spans many years as it tracks the life and journey of a play from its inception to its first readings, performances in regional theatres, all the way to Broadway and beyond. Helping to tell this beautiful story are ten multi-talented actors taking on forty-seven characters. The cast embodies the members of the God of Vengeance troupe as well as the many other characters inhabiting the world of Indecent. As Lemml, the Stage Manager, Montreal-based Ryan Bommarito (Repercussion’s Romeo and Juliet) narrates and leads the rest of the troupe, which includes The Ingenues, Chana and Avram, played byCara Krisman (just seen at the Segal in Sermo Scomber’s Don’t Read the Comments) and Mark Uhre (Enjolras in Les Misérables on Broadway), The Middles, Halina and Mendel, played by Julia Juhas (Lili St. Cyr in Bowser and Blue’s Last Night at the Gayety) and Dov Michaelson (CBC’s Baroness Von Sketch), and The Elders, Vera and Otto, played by Felicia Shulman (Segal Centre’s Funny Girl) and Sam Stein (over 50 years of local professional and Dora Wasserman Yiddish Theatre credits including Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof).

As the play is filled with stirring songs and dances, the cast also includes Gabriel Paquin-Buki playing clarinetist Mayer Balsam, Brigitte Dajczer as violinist Nell Friedman, and Sergiu Popa as the accordion wielding Moriz Godowsky.

Talented creative team takes on big challenges

Setting the stage for this epic production and recreating the iconic rain scene on stage at the Segal Centre is a fantastic creative team led by Director Lisa Rubin. This team of accomplished theatrical artists features Ray Hogg (choreography), Nick Burgess (musical direction), Brian Dudkiewicz (set design), Louise Bourret (costume design), Claude Accolas (lighting design), VideoCompany (video design), and Peter Balov (head of sound).